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Title: Fail safe device
Claims: I claim: 1. Fail safe apparatus, comprising house means, chamber means defined at least partly by said housing means, inlet means for admitting a relatively high pressure fluid into said chamber means, first outlet means including a first restriction for directing said fluid from said chamber means to associated means to be acted upon by said fluid in accordance with the magnitude of said pressure of said fluid, filter means situated generally in the path of flow of said fluid, second outlet means having a lesser restriction than said first restriction of said first outlet means for at times dircting said fluid from said chamber means to the associated means, and valving means for controlling the communication between said second outlet means and said chamber means, said valving means being operatively controlled by the deflection experienced by said filter means due to a pressure differential across said filter means generated by said fluid flowing through said filter means and an increasing restrictive effect to flow through said filter means created by clogging of said filter means by particles of dirt, whereby clogging of said filter in the absence of said valve would produce an undetectable, lower-than-normal pressure having an undesired effect on the associated means, as compared to said filter not being clogged, but whereby, upon said filter becoming clogged sufficiently to cause said valve to open, a higher-than-normal pressure is produced and said second outlet means, said higher-than-normal pressure being detectable and useable to have a desired effect on the associated means. 2. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said filter means is situtated within said chamber means so as to define a generally movable wall-like structure wih first and second chamber-like portions on responsive sides thereof. 3. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising resilient means for resiliently resisting said deflection of said filter means. 4. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said filter means is situated within said chamber means so as to define a generally movable wall-like structure with first and second chamber-like portions on respective sides thereof, and further comprising resilient means for resiliently resisting said deflection of said filter means, said resilient means being situated within one of said chamber-like portions and operatively connected to said filter means. 5. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said inlet means communicates with said chamber means upstream of said filter means, wherein said first outlet means communicates with said chamber means downstream of said filter means, and wherein said second outlet means communicates with said chamber means upstream of said filter means. 6. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said chamber means comprises passage means for the flow therethrough of said fluid. 7. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said filter means comprises a relatively flexible wall-like member with a plurality of flow-through passages formed therethrough, said flexible wall-like member being peripherally anchored within said passage means, wherein said flexible wall-like member defines at opposite sides thereof first and second chamber-like portions, wherein said second outlet means is adapted for communication with said first chamber-like portion, and wherein said valving means is carried by said flexible wall-like member for permitting varying degrees of communication between said first chamber-like portion and said second outlet means in accordance with the degree of deflection of said flexible wall-like member. 8. Fail safe apparatus according to claim 7 and further comprising spring means operatively connected to said flesible wall-like member for normally urging said wall-like member and said valving means in a direction at least tending to terminate communication between said first chamber-like portion and said second outlet means. Other info: Inventors: McCabe, Ralph Patrick (Troy, MI, US) Application Number: 496556 Filing Date: 1974-08-12 Publication_date: 1976-02-03 Assignee: Colt Industries Operating Corporation (New York, NY) Primary Class(es): 210/131 210/132, 210/354 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Adee, John Assistant Examiner: Attorney: |
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